Various interactive adventure games use a hand-held pointing device to activate game features as the player(s) proceed to explore a gaming area. Some of these concepts have been commercialized in a family adventure game known as MagiQuest. The MagiQuest technology uses a custom designed wand as a pointing device in combination with many separate pieces that must all be combined to create the live user experience. For example, the wand uses Infrared (IR) and radio frequency (RF) technology and motion sensing components to activate various special effects, all of which are hard wired back to a central location. In addition, various touch screen monitors may be used to view videos and to receive and end quests. A central server in a remote location controls the game and dispenses the videos to different locations. MagiQuest requires the user to purchase a dedicated, one-of-a-kind device (wand) for a substantial amount of money ($14.95 and up) that has no use other than to play the game. Furthermore, guests also pay separately to play the game after they have purchased the wand. All of these components make the MagiQuest experience very complicated and expensive to build and maintain, with installations costing $1,500,000 and more.